The Long Road Home (part two)

 Episode Name:  The Long Road Home (part two)

   Written By:  Fortunae

         Cast:  Alarcon, Fortunae, Ghorev, Harris, Havaris, Jem'Hadar Ship and Nilee.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Fortunae

     Aired On:  Thu Aug 28 02:20:17 2003

     Stardate:  53466.9

Time: Wed Aug 27 20:10:16 2003

Stardate: 53466.3

Last time, on Star Trek Anomaly ---

Ghorev says, "Mister Havaris," as he leans forward in his seat. "Take down their weapons! Mister Harris, hard Z-axis roll! Up and behind the polaron signatures! All hands brace! Even if I'm right, we're about to strain the dampeners, and if I'm *wrong*, it will matter for, oh, 6 seconds tops..."

Closer and closer the Predator races, unaware it's cloak is as useful as a targeting grid painted on it's hull to the vessel it would prey upon. On the viewscreen it appears directly where the lateral sensors said it would, a firey lambent plasma torpedo spitting forth from it's forward launcher followed by another and another as it closes to maximum phaser range, it waggles slightly as it's torpedos track down toward the Thomas Paine away from the Romulan Vessel's planned over flight and cloak route. There is no hail, there is no attempt to parley or warn off, it's just a straight up sneak attack without remorse. Lieutenant (JG) Harris initiates evasive manuevers designed to baffle far more cunningly honed torpedoes than those just fired, and at his position on the command chair Commander Ghorev sees it all coming to pass as he forsaw it would...

GAME: Havaris spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Impossible and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Under orders, Havaris focusses his attentions on lowering those shields and getting his ordinance home on the torpedo launcher of the Romulan craft. Often calm to the point of disquieting, Havaris is at present a cool and collected bastion of activity and self-certainty. He taps his terminal rapidly before stating, "Torpedo away. Targetting incoming fire." His screen swaps out to the threat indicator, a few more taps are made, and three quick bursts of phaser fire lance from the foreward arrays of the Thomas Paine, blasting away the incoming pulsating fire from the Romulan Relic, blasting them into the void. As the Thomas Paine rolls free of the explosions, and as the torpedo nears the shields of the Romulan Craft, Havaris focusses his fire on a purely hand-driven shot at the foreward shields of the incoming enemy vessel, dimpling them enough for the torepdo to slide through and explode in crimson fire straight up the Warbirds hate-hole. "Gimme something tricky, Captain, I need the practice. Weapons neutralized, incoming fire neutralized. Tactical at standby."

GAME: Alarcon spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Alarcon (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Mission Ops) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Alarcon clings to her Ops terminal and taps madly at her console. Well, perhaps not 'madly,' per se. Furiously, certainly, frowning all the while. "Sir. There is enough power in reserve for evasive manoeuvers, despite the power loss from the weapons discharge." She seems somewhat pleased to relate this, and a trifle relieved, as well.

<CONTEST> Harris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

As the torpedo explodes, Harris spins the ship hard over with a growl of frustration. "Z-axis, aye!" he calls, tipping the ship back on its proverbial rear-end. As he does, he swings the ship around in a tight loop to drop onto the Romulan ship's rear end - the more firepower to dish justice out with, the better... and the old man has always said that he was a pilot.

Laco monitors the engineering station, gripping the console tightly as the combat unfolds around them, but keeping his eyes on the read outs.

Nilee reaches one hand down to steady himself by gripping the side of the science station, he uses the other to keep punching commands into the sensors. Frowning as he braces for Harris' hard turn, "I've lost contact with the Jem'hadar... probably from lack of power, but we should get sensors back to full power as soon as we can manage it safely. I don't think we want Jem'hadar sneaking up on us."

On the viewscreen, the lateral sensors keep the Romulan vessel in view despite the twisting maneuvering of the Thomas Paine. The remaining tendrils of the explosion and the scorched portion of the hull around their torepod launcher that was can be made out until the angle masks the damage. The image starts to waiver as the vessel attempts to cloak again, but clearly the damage to the weapons has made the cloak grid less than stable, the warbird reduces speed as it banks into a reverse heading then accelerates again as it charges toward the Thomas Paine...

Ghorev says, "Now I'm *pretty sure* ramming someone with a half-cloaked vessel is a guaranteed recipe for disaster." But then his need to take the matter seriously outpaces his need to murmur sarcastically about it. "Mister Harris, evasive maneuvers ... the wider the better, in case they decide to blow their core. I need some power throttled back from weapons to sensors! Try to find those Jem'Hadar again."

GAME: Ghorev spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Ghorev (claiming advantage) contests his Command (Starship) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Alarcon (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Mission Ops) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Havaris is still at stand-by, more than aware of the power drain his volley brought to the Thomas Paine. Not wishing to further drain power or occupy the shields, he concerns himself with rotating the shield strength to keep it facing the warbird as they maneuver. "Keeping our shields strong in the face of the enemy, Sir. Freeing power to Operations."

"I've channeled weapons battery power to sensors, Sir. This puts you, Havaris, with enough to fire a phaser bank or one torpedo spread. No full bursts, though, until you get some power back. Harris and Nilee should have full power for their needs." Alarcon shares this after some quick console manoeuvering of her own, then gives Kusto a bit of a cheerful smile.

<CONTEST> Harris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Succeeds!

It almost looks like a game of chicken as the warbird swings around. Eyes narrowing on the viewscreen, Harris' hands dance over the helm, and then the Paine twists into a rolling dive, ending up belly to belly with the beast before twisting off on a tangent designed to give Ghorev his room. "Torpedo tubes exposed! Evasive, aye! Distance, aye!"

<CONTEST> Nilee (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

As soon as he registers power flowing back through the sensor grid at optimal levels, Nilee lifts his hand from the side of the console and spaces his legs a little farther apart to give him balance should he need it. Using both hands the Trill quickly runs through sensors scans, "I'm detecting the Polaron signatures and composite metalurgical traces of Jem'hadar ships. They're outside our maximum torpedo range, but they're banking into a fly by course that would let them strafe us or the Romulans..." he pauses, "There's three of them. Looks like fast attack ships." He grimaces.

On the viewscreen the dorsal section of the Romulan vessel is in clear display including the painting of the bird like decorations upon it's hull... it seems to be manuevering for a "climb" then sharp dive back after the Thomas Paine...

Ghorev says, "Mister Harris, make the Romulan an easier target for those fellows, and if you can get us aft and dorsal of them, so much the better." He grips the console of his chair. "Kusto, you were on the ground at Betazed while we took the skies .... I'm feeding you the images of the weak aft-dorsal shield points that Mister Laco and I found then. If I'm right, these pilots don't yet know we know about it,and they *don't* know our shields will work against their weapons. Cripple them, if you can. But no death blows. Not yet."

<CONTEST> Ghorev (claiming advantage) contests his Command (Starship) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Havaris contests his Starship Tactics (Naval) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Alarcon (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Mission Ops) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Impossible and Succeeds!

Havaris glances over his shoulder slightly, eyes narrowing at the reports coming his way and the orders from his Captain. Nodding his head sharply, Havaris turns back to his work, his eyes growing hard edged as he takes aim on his time-trapped enemy that is, it may rightly be said, still his enemy in this parcel of every-time. "Targetting aft shields, per your diagrams, Sir. Expect a rotating strafing pass from the enemy craft. They'll sweep under us for a second pass, so try to break low and away." Havaris taps at his terminal for a moment before stating flatly, "Torpedo away." He glances up to watch the lazy-lob of his torpedo gently arc in over the lead attack fighter, slamming into the aft sheilds as intended. "Welcome to the Alpha Quadrant."

Alarcon does what she can to feed power to Nilee, now. Lookit the scientist, shuffling power from place to place as if she were born to it! Well, she hasn't failed miserably at it as yet, anyway. No shunting all the power to, say, waste reclamation or something accidentally in mid-dogfight. "Sent all the power to Ensign Nilee that I can, Sir, without diverting anything too vital."

<CONTEST> Jem'Hadar Ship contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Harris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Fails!

<CONTEST> Harris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Rocketing forward from under cover too early, the Paine races forward. At the last possible second, Harris cuts power to the impulse engines - which is just enough for the wily Romulan commander to adjust course enough to barely miss hull on hull contact. The shields, on the other hand, impact each other. Flying purely on instinct now, the old man nudges the ship forward with full power to the impulse engines, angling the nose downward to gain some distance from the warbird. That, on the other hand, places the Paine on a collision course with the lead Jem'Hadar ship. Eyes going wide, all the starboard thrusters are fired at the last second to cause the Federation ship to roll up and over the fighter, disaster averted by mere meters.

<CONTEST> Nilee (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensor) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Nilee manages to stay standing up due to his careful positioning of feet to steady himself, though he does have to pause twice to grab the sides of his console in the jostling from the battle. "The engagement has moved us much closer to the Exeter, it's just outside our torpedo range, and if the Jem'hadar keep on their heading and don't come about, they'll have an opportunity to do a straffing run against the Exeter. Two of them will be atleast..."

As to the third Fast Attack ship -- it fell prey to Havaris' expert marksmanship, and while it's companion vesels were unable to get a shot off at the Thomas Paine due to the presence of the Romulan ship between them, the lagging injured vessel had no such problems when Harris nearly helmed them into each other... purple slashes of polaron death extend to kiss the hull of the Thomas Paine but instead meet only shields that aren't pierced or buckled. Drained significantly perhaps, but holding. As Harris's roll ends one purple shot lashes past the Federation Vessel and into the Romulan Warbird... it's shields prove absolutely meaningless in the face of the Dominion technology and in a flash of a lash it swells then bursts in fire and blackened wreckage, the wake of same splashing against the shields of the Paine and the Fast Attack Ship...

Ghorev asks, quickly, "Mister Harris, how many Jem'Hadar ships made it through to Exeter?" Oh, no, he can't *really* be asking what he's asking.

A drop of sweat makes its way down Harris' brow as he concentrates on driving. "No idea, sir... we didn't actually see them, you know?" He takes a second to glance back. "We found polaron weapons signatures and Dominion-style engine wakes, but no physical ships."

Ghorev says, "Continue evasive maneuvers, then, but don't hang back any more. Stick close enough to make a difference if the continuum goes crazy." in a rush. "Hopefully, we haven't changed the timeline any. Mister Havaris, keep an eye on those ships. Defensive fire only, and only if necessary. Isobel, Mister Nilee, we *need* to figure a way to wriggle free of this space-time compression. Anything you've got, I need to know."

<CONTEST> Ghorev (claiming advantage) contests his Command (Starship) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Succeeds!

"Sir, we're down to the wire on our starboard and aft shields. I have a line on their weak spot. Firing phasers, hopefully my target will withstand the attack." Havaris, left to assess the threat and interpret words like 'firing in defense' and 'necessary' opts to err on the side of violence. He targets the enemy craft most convenient and fires a single lance of phaser fire to conserve on power which strikes as intended, much to the satisfaction of the Bajoran at Tactical.

Over Harris's earpiece and overheard by Ghorev *"This is Captain Riley of the United Federation of Planets vessel USS Exeter. You are engaged in unlawful combat within Federation space. You are ordered to desist your combat immediately and identify yourselves or we will be forced to take action against you."*

<CONTEST> Jem'Hadar Ship contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

"Sir, permission to have the engineering crew that was working on the adjustments to make my field around the ship leave their battle stations and resume work on the project so they can move to Mister Nilee's work once they have finished. All I can suggest to you, Sir, is what they'd been trying to implement before the Red Alert." All this is said smoothly and respectfully, as Alarcon is obviously aware that Red Alert was her suggestion, anyway.

<CONTEST> Harris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Completing the roll through the attack wing, Harris puts the gas to the floor and loops around lazily to continue evading. Gone is his intense concentration - the old man is clearly distracted by what he hears through the comm channel.

Nilee glances up briefly at Ghorev's question, but then looks back down as Alarcon answers back, "If we can get my alterations finished on the forward deflector, I should, theoretically, be able to chart us a way out." The Trill then falls silent, tapping away at the computer for a few seconds before pausing and then starting again with new vigor. FInally, he looks back up, "Sir, it looks like we might have the codes to gain access to the Jem'hadar's subspace channels. If we can monitor their communications we should be able to evade them." He pauses and finally looks up, "Sir... if we prevent the Jem'hadar from destroying the Exeter, it is possible the Dominion will send a larger ship... or group of ships to investigate the loss of their vessels. I'm assuming the Enterprise will be in the area soon, and if it finds the Exeter intact, that will have drastic effects on our timeline. Let alone if it gets caught here in a battle with a larger Jem'hadar vessel and is destroyed itself...." He trails off, sure the Commander knows the implications of the destruction of the Starfleet flagship.

As soon as Harris rolled around, Havaris fired on on the view screen another Jem'Hadar vessel is struck through the gap, but this one shudders a bit, rolls out of formation and explodes in a blast of white and gold and purple. The First Dominion craft hit falls to a dead stop as its manuevering thrusters are brought to bear on it's sudden loss of impulse power and control thanks to Havaris' earlier efforts... the final surviving undamaged vessel starts to pull away from the Thomas Paine as it exerts it's maximum impulse speed which is a fraction higher then the escort vessel can maintain... and then.... small on the screen but still clear... the image of the USS Exeter can be made out...

<CONTEST> Ghorev contests his Shipboard Systems (Command) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Ghorev sits up straighter, making a 'just a moment' gesture at Nilee before stabbing a finger down on the armrest console. In a moment, he has hijacked command of the communications controls. "Attention, USS Exeter. You are hereby advised that under Federation General Order 157, we cannot comply with your request for identification at this time, but that we have no hostile intent towards any Federation vessel. You are advised to take appropriate measures to comply with the General Order cited. There will be no further communications from this vessel." He cuts off the communication. "Mister Harris, this will be the hardest thing you will ever have to do. Pull back, and try to present an undamaged front to our crippled 'friends' as we pass. Let the last ship through to Exeter. Kusto, rock the one you just shot a little more, just enough to remind them who's in charge here. Isobel, carry out your earlier plan."

<CONTEST> Ghorev (claiming advantage) contests his Command (Starship) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Alarcon has the permission she sought, and gets in touch with the team below. "Order sent to Engineering, sir, to stand down from battle stations and resume work on my project, with Mister Nilee's their next direct course of action." Other than this, Isobel remains intent upon her Ops terminal, watching the readouts there, alternating occasionally with the viewscreen.

Harris glances over his shoulder. "Commander.... if the Exeter is in its own time, aren't we required to help them? What if the Jem'Hadar ship is the time traveler? What if we're in 2293?" He's on the edge of tears. "They wear the same uniform, Commander! I mean... we can't just let them die out here. Not again."

. o O Harris is cracking up internally.

. o O Harris thinks "We can't let them die. Not again. Not when we're so close... God. We're so close."

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Fails!

Havaris focusses in on his work at his terminal, trying to drown out the conversation swirling about him. His head shakes slowly, eyes narrowing at his controls as he eyes the strangle fighter they are about to pass. He offers no warning of the incoming fire at their aft, he offers no notation that he heard the orders given, and in the end the torpedo he spits at the craft hisses over its shields in a remarkable show of tactical incompetence. Kusto's jaw tightens for a moment before he finally notes. "Brace for counterfire."

Ghorev says, "I was under the impression that we're in overlapping time, Mister Harris," but then he eyes Nilee. "Ensign Nilee, *can* we get a clearer impression of the 'when' involved here?"

And as if on cue the Thomas Paine begins to rock a bit as polaron beams are fired into it's aft shields already damaged from the shield brush with the Romulan vessel... tactical alarms go off as the aft starboard shield collapses completely...

Laco starts sending damage control reports toward the Command Chair of Ghorev without vocal commentary.

Nilee shakes his head as he looks towards Ghorev, "Sensors are reading data from multiple time streams. There's no way to tell until I get the data from the chroniton flush. It is possible the USS Exeter was destroyed in 2293 and the wreckage spilled into 2374 shortly after, along with Mr Harris as a survivor. I can't give any accurate data, however, until I get the temporal dimple mapped."

On the view screen the leading Fast Attack ship banks hard in a truely impressive feat of helm control and spits weapons fire at the Thomas Paine in a mirror of that fired by it's companion vessel now firmly aft of the Thomas Paine's position. And in the distance, the USS Exeter, though clearly limping from damage dealt by the Romulan, turns and manuevers as if to join the fray and help the Thomas Paine...

Ghorev says, "Mister Harris, hard about, and don't present our aft end! Isobel, I need all the power you can spare the shields so we can get some of them restored." A quick eye sideways and back to Tactical. "Keep up the good work back there. We have to keep these attack ships alive enough to complete their mission, but crippled enough that *we* don't become the mission, understood?"

<CONTEST> Alarcon (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Mission Ops) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Succeeds!

"Oh... dear." This is not a good thing, usually, to hear Alarcon say. "Sir. There's been an... internal explosion. One of the EPS conduits the Engineering team was working on--a secondary effect, I think, of the attack by the Jem'Hadar. Shipboard power down to sixty percent until this can be routed around. Which... I will advise the team to do... once I hear back from them." Isobel is a little pale, relaying all of this.

"Sir," Havaris complains, "we are outnumbered two to one against craft whose primary weakness is to explode brilliantly when struck from the aft. Excellent work equates to luck in this instance, and being ordered to keep two matches for our vessel alive while they blast us apart is not an order I can easily manage. I am throwing out fire on a whim and a prayer, Sir. Keeping these things alive has nothing to do with skill!" Havaris taps his frustrations out on his terminal, head shaking. "Aft shields are down, firing on the lame duck." Havaris releases a torpedo in passing the wounded fighter by, one which hisses through the aft shields and brings about a violent explosion from within the craft. Polaron beak of the craft flies forward in a tight spiral while its nacelles whirl away with nothing left in the middle but a fast dissipating glow of plasma and vapor. "On the plus side, Sir, that's five confirmed kills at Tactical." Havaris Kusto, Space Ace.

<PROVE> Harris has the flaw of Impulsive at -1.

Laco focuses on directing damage control... then sends a medical team toward the location of the EPS blow out. He keeps his face focuses on his panel and his spoken directions to the lower decks quiet so as to not interfere with the bridge interaction.

GAME: Harris spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Harris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

"Commander!" Harris calls over his shoulder as he works the helm, "Might I bring to your attention general orders two, six, and nine? We are *required* to assist Exeter, just so long as no infomration is transmitted to the past." While he's busy lecturing, his reaction time slows, and that means nothing good. The explosion of the attack ship impacts the aft end of the ship and sends it tumbling forward at 10 o'clock as compared to the the last Dominion ship's 12.

The Thomas Paine's inertial dampeners groan in protest and the bridge crew is rocked at thier stations, more alarms go off and the emergency lighting flickers momentarily. Laco sends more damage control information toward Ghorev's station without looking up despite almost falling down. On the view screen the remaining Jem'Hadar vessel grows large ominously fast as it belches more polaron death toward the fighting with one hand tied behind it's back Thomas Paine, ignoring the USS Exeter which continues to close on it's aft...

Nilee is quietly monitoring his station, watching sensors to keep tabs on the ships that are still intact, "If we save the Exeter, and we bring a whole crew of twenty-third century officers into the beginning of the Dominion war, it will haev drastic consequences for the course of the war, it could even result in the Alliance loosing the war. The Temporal Prime Directive states we are to have NO interaction in the past when it can be avoided. We have to get out of here, Commander. There is only one Jem'hadar ship left, if we destroy or disable it, even in self-defense..." he trails off, distracted by something, "Sir, with our aft shields down, the Jem'hadar can beam a boarding party onto the Paine."

The Thomas Paine shudders anew as the incoming vessel's fire reaches it and the Starboard shields finish collapsing completely following after the aft shields, leaving Ghorev only the foreward portside shields giving protection. As the Jem'Hadar vessel dives and banks to fly by Thomas Paine across the bown and down toward the port side, two red-orange photon torpedos race behind it as the Exeter continues to limp-charge into the fray...

To the communications panel on Commander Ghorev's chair, a broadcast from the Exeter comes up, only viewable by himself or Alarcon who sits beside him. *Text Rendering "USS Exeter to Outtime Federation Vessel. It is the consensus of the crew that any of our descendents could be on your vessel. We cannot risk allowing our legacy being destroyed while we can act. Run. We'll hold off the hostile to buy you time. God speed. Captain Riley out."*

Ghorev says, "Mister Harris, less mis-quoting and more flying!" He looks annoyed now as the ship rocks and shakes around him. "Mister Nilee, though his lecture is unnecessary, is correct. And we have our orders. Pull back immediately. Keep them off our damaged side." He grips the console. Surely he doesn't like the idea of this any more than anyone else does, but ... "Take us away from here."

<CONTEST> Ghorev (claiming advantage) contests his Command (Starship) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Harris (claiming disadvantage) contests his Presence (Willpower) skill vs Ghorev's Command (Starship) skill and Fails!

<CONTEST> Alarcon (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Engineering) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Succeeds!

With only one bogie left in the skies and orders not to blast it into the void, Havaris has little use for the power remaining in his weapon banks. With a few taps at his controls, hy syphons power away from his weapons, drains out the emergency and auxilliary power reserves, and pushes it all into the much maligned shields of the Thomas Paine. "Diverting weapons and auxilliary power to shields." A pause as he waits for the results. "Shields now at thirty percent to aft, Sir. Should stop the boarders."

<CONTEST> Harris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) skill vs Jem'Hadar Ship's Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) skill and Succeeds!

"Sir, I received word from Engineering that they have casualties, but they are trying to finish the tasking." Alarcon has been poring over her console, doing some apparently complicated-looking something-or-other, since her earlier grim announcement. "I have manually rerouted the power around the damaged EPS conduit. Which brings us, or should momentarily bring us, ah, back up to full power."

There's a moment of indecision in Harris' eyes as he turns back to the conn. Every fiber of his being screams that he should help. That he should bring the ship about. That he can't just leave them to die. And then, mechanically, his hands input the practiced manuevers that he's been using since he graduated from the Academy. The Paine loops up and over the Exeter, leaving the Constitution-class cruiser and the side of the ship that still has shields between the Jem'Hadar and the old man's new shipmates. When Havaris announces that the shields are back, Robert levels out the ship and punches it forward. "If we go to warp, Commander, we'll get away safe." His voice is flat - a part of him has just died for the second time.

Nilee continues monitoring his readings, "Sir... I've just registered a launch from the Exeter. They've sent out their black box probe, it just passed us at warp." He taps a few more commands in, "The Enterprise never reported finding it. I think it's safe to pick up once we catch up to it."

On the view screen the battle unfolds even as if falls away at great speed. The already damaged USS Exeter begins firing barrage after barrage at the Dominion vessel, torpedo spreads twinkling from it but easily danced around by the nimble vessel from the Gamma Quadrent... purple lances of energy burn into the white hull leaving ugly seared scars... a nacelle is cut away and tumples from view...

Ghorev says, "And we're laying odds that this is the little probe that started it all, eh? Or will start it all? I *hate* these past-pluperfect subjective passive-aggressive voices, Ensign, but thank you." He nods, once, thoughtfully, in Nilee's direction. Then, to Harris, with that same modicum of absurdity that the post-adrenal rush moments tend to bring out in the Blue Fella: "Flight Control, intercept course on that probe. If you see a Brilliant-class Light Escort coming in our direction, try to avoid ramming us. Isobel, you may resume heading up the scanning of this compression field. If we can't 'heal' it, we can at least mark its boundaries and steer ships away. Tactical, you may stand down, and take a well earned break."

It's a hell of a thing for Havaris, sitting at Tactical, staring at a terminal reading nothing to fight with. Everything given over to turning tail and running. His eyes drift slowly across the terminal, hands brushing over the controls solemnly before his gaze shifts aside to Harris at the Helm. His gaze turns back to the console before him as he watches in rendered tactical data the surgical destruction of the USS Exeter, with the man beside him somewhere aboard it. Even at three degrees of separation; distance, data, and interpolation, watching that threat indicator lose the Exeter is made no easier. "I asked for this chair, Sir," Havaris responds flatly, "I'll not leave it till I've paid for it." Havaris takes in a breath and offers more politely, "With permission, Sir, I would like to remain at my post until Lieutenant Harris is relieved, Sir."

"Yes, Sir," replies Isobel, intent on her scanning. Ahhh, scanning. She feels at home with this task--no longer uncertainly routing power or bossing about engineers. Scanning? Scanning is, in regard to the rest of the adventure, soothingly familiar.

With every crushing blow rained onto the flesh and blood ghosts of Harris' past, the old man crumples more and more into his seat. He can't tear his eyes away; he can't and won't dishonor their memories that way. A single tear trickles down his cheek, followed by another, and then another. Silence settles upon him as the ship on the screen blossoms into a brilliant explosion, and then a whisper escapes his lips - a single word to carry his comrades into eternity yet again. "Godspeed." He doesn't acknowledge the order he's given even as his hands put in the necessary commands. He can't... he's simply out of words.

Nilee silently watches. Watches the Jem'hadar vessel turn and come to bear on the Exeter. Watches the Exeter receive pummel after pummel from the Jem'hadar as it's phasers flit harmlessly off the Jem'hadar's shields. He tears his attention away from the aft sensors though just as the deathblow is struck by the Jem'hadar ship. Closing his eyes briefly, the Trill brings up displays to bring his attention to bear on the probe. Trying to push the thoughts out of his mind.

Solemnly the Thomas Paine crew observe the final duty of the USS Exeter...

...some time later, after repairs and reconfigurations, the USS Thomas Paine surfs out of the space time divit and on their sensors are the familiar stars and signals that reassure them they have managed to move against the tide of the rift and appeared not 80 years in their future but only minutes after they must have entered it... mission accomplished they can now return to their home port, mission accomplished, timeline protected and in their hold, the last words sent by the U.S.S Exeter and her crew, safely contained within a probe that lured them to witness the last moments of a brave crew in the first place.

Ghorev toggles the console, and begins recording: "Ship's Log, Supplemental. Historians of Starfleet's earlier years often pointed out our errors in sending out our best, and our brightest. In those days, when the rules were less defined and more fluid, your best and your brightest, your officers most likely to understand and appreciate alien civilzations, were the ones most likely to defect to them, in spirit and in heart if not in flesh and in deed. They were the ones most likely to think themselves above what few rules there were, in the name of progress. And so, Starfleet made a point of selecting away from that psychological makeup in their admissions to the Academy. Historians point to these resultant captains and admirals, the Kirks and the Wesleys and the Garths and the Kors, as flawed but brilliant men, aware of the potential of advanced civilizations, but also stubborn enough, egocentric *just enough*, to believe that their own ideals had no less merit for being younger, or less advanced, than the ideals which they encountered. We'd like to think we carry on the tradition of these men even today. We're not perfect, nor should we be -- we make snap decisions and pay the price for them later. But what we gain from this is the sure and certain knowledge that Starfleet officers everywhere -- and everywhen -- are our brothers and sisters." A pause. "I do not know, nor do I care, whether USS Exeter was destined to be destroyed despite our encounter, or because of it. What I *do* know is that in his last message to me, knowing I would not respond, Captain Kevin Thomas Riley sacrificed himself voluntarily, and all the last but one of his crew, knowing only what he should know under General Order 157, the Temporal Prime Directive -- that we were brothers under the skin, from another time, and that we should not have been where we were. Knowing only this, trusting only that he was the yesterday to our present, that our lives to come were the future, he spent the last moments of his ship's existence giving us our escape. Naming the compressed 'dimple' in spacetime accordingly, I have ordered that the Riley Convergence be clearly marked on all grid-maps of the sector, until such a time as the navigational and subspace hazard it represents can be more permanently attended to. I am sure that someone else has his own plans for a memorial, and we will do as best we can by him. End log."